UNIFIED SOFTWARE PLATFORM
At the core of the Rode X is a new software platform called Unify. It’s essentially a virtual mixer, very similar to the kind you’d get with a recording interface to balance input levels and create headphone mixes, only Unify focuses more on software channel management than physical I/O .
In a typical gaming or streaming environment, you’ll have several applications running simultaneously; e.g. the game itself, a communication app like Discord, a browser, a music app like Spotify or iTunes, streaming software like OBS or Twitch, maybe a video chat app like Zoom/Teams/Skype, then if you’re a musician, maybe it’s a DAW like Pro Tools or Ableton Live, the list goes on. The point is that many of these applications produce and/or receive audio streams. In a live streaming scenario, you may want the mix you send to your audience to be a combination of any or all of these independent streams of audio from the software. If you’re a gamer who simultaneously streams your gameplay while chatting with other gamers, the need for audio routing flexibility only increases.
Unify conveniently handles such contexts and more. Its mixer provides control of up to four USB microphones or audio devices (such as the XDM-100 and XCM-50) and up to six virtual audio sources (from your software applications). Custom submixes consisting of all the aforementioned sources can be created and fed to headphones, chat and live outputs individually. What’s more, Unify offers Aphex digital signal processing on all four microphone channels, as well as full multitrack recording, so you can fine-tune your mix later if you choose.
Aesthetically, Unify borrows many elements of its GUI from the Rodecaster Pro II. It’s a neat layout with clear color-coded labels of all functions. Unify comes free with any Rode X microphone purchase and is also available on its own for AU$7.99 per month or AU$69.99 per year.
X MARK THE SPOT
The Rode X is best thought of as an audio distribution hub at the heart of your gaming or streaming setup. It’s never been easier to transport and manipulate audio channels between software applications, and the use cases for this are vast. What also stands out is the ability to process multiple channels of USB microphones in Unify to create a more polished sound. Then, as a further added value, multi-track recording is a fantastic addition, especially for music streamers who would like to mix their virtual live performances after the fact. The Australian-made XCM-50 and XDM-100 microphones live up to the standard of quality we’ve come to expect from Rode, and if these first three products are any indication of what’s yet to come from the Rode X brand, then gamers and streamers have very excited about.
